In only a little over a month since they left London, Kayaking the Continent paddlers Anna Blackwell and Kate Culverwell have now passed the 1,000 km mark, and are a quarter of their way through their 4,000 km expedition quest to travel by kayak from England to the Black Sea.

Paddling to raise awareness and funds for Pancreatic Cancer Action they have journeyed around the Kent Coast, crossed the English Channel, and have since traversed the rivers and canals of Belgium and NE France including the Meuse and Moselle. They have now reached Strasbourg, and will next travel into Germany and down the Rhine.

They have endured the breakage of their portage trolley (an important piece of kit when you have a 7m fully-laden expedition sea kayak to transport around locks) and the theft of its replacement, together with torrential thunder storms directly overhead. They have also experienced incredible kindness, generosity, support and assistance from many of the people they have encountered both on the water and alongside their route.

As expedition paddling can be thirsty work, Anna and Kate have been making good use of their Pure Hydration drinking water purification systems, and demonstrating why an integrated portfolio of equipment makes great expedition sense.

The Pure Hydration M.A.D.® InLine Purifier Assembly for expedition drinking water. A 2 litre reservoir is carried in the rear of their Peak UK Explorer PFDs. The outlet tube is accessed through the lower PDF rear zip, and connected using PureLink adaptors to a Pure Hydration InLine Purifier. Although easily accessible should it be needed, the Purifier sits comfortably and unobtrusivelyabove their spraydecks and the kayak cockpit rim. The drinking hose carries water over their soulders, where it is secured with a custom clip to hold the hose until ready for use. A single-handed valve switch and pop-top mouth piece provides an instantly accessible hydration top up.

The M.A.D.® InLine Purifier Assembly is shown above, peaking out at the rear of a Personal Floatation Device during the English Channel crossing. Since leaving the open sea for riverine waters Kate and Anna have been using the PFD-stored water as a reserve, and their primary device for day to day hydration has been the aquapure traveller™.

Pure Hydration aquapure traveller™ for expedition drinking water. Robust (it easily survives real world expedition impact without the risk of filter detachment or damage to the bottle or cap) and durable, each of the APT’s in use has been supplied with a shape-hugging neoprene carry case. The cases have multiple attachment points for securing the bottle to such as deck lines or PFDs.

The aquapure traveller™ (in use above) can be easily squeezed to produce a thirst-quenching flow of water if you don’t want to put your mouth in contact with the cap and suck for reasons of hygiene, or you can combine both techniques if you’re really thirsty. The ability to squeeze the bottle also means that it’s easy to decant safe drinking water into other clean containers before setting off (especially when you know that your next ‘refill station’ may be some way off).

Being on water has meant that refilling on the go has been the modus operandi for Anna and Kate. Anna noted “The bottles and filters have been working out brilliantly. It can be quite entertaining watching people’s reactions as we dip our bottles into the water and start drinking straight away! It makes life so easy not having to worry about finding sources of clean drinking water, especially as we’ve had some incredibly hot weather along the way and that is set to continue over the coming weeks.”

Pure Hydration Thirst Aid Station for expedition drinking water. The Thirst Aid Station was originally included with the intention that it could provide camp drinking water if holed up for any extended period due to bad weather. With a 10 litre reservoir suspended from a tree with a bungee cord, gravity does all the work to push water through the InLine Purifier (which is interchangeable with the units used with the PFD reservoirs).

More usually deployed for emergency humanitarian water purification, the Thirst Aid Station was an option that was selected as it was felt that, with minimal kayak storage space or weight impact, it would permit Kate and Anna to have safe drinking water to hand in volume when ashore at the end of each day. As it has turned out, they quickly discovered the additional advantages of clean water. Anna continued by saying “The Thirst Aid Station has been a great addition to our camp set-up as well, we’ve used it a lot for cooking and washing up… And even a few showers!”

If you want to catch up and keep up to date with Kayaking the Continent’s progress in more detail please visit the blog here, or these Facebook and Instagram pages. To donate to this great cause click here.

For further product information, and to discuss the water purification requirements for your expedition, please contact customerservice@purehydration.co.uk

]]>https://www.purehydration.com/2018/06/ktc-1000km-expedition-update/feed/0Thirst Aid Stations delivered to ShelterBoxhttps://www.purehydration.com/2018/06/thirst-aid-stations-delivered-to-shelterbox/
https://www.purehydration.com/2018/06/thirst-aid-stations-delivered-to-shelterbox/#commentsFri, 01 Jun 2018 08:37:44 +0000http://www.purehydration.com/?p=3933Belgium, Malaysia, Panama or the U.A.E? Which of these four countries has NOT been chosen as a place from which urgently required emergency water purification

Which of these four countries has NOT been chosen as a place from which urgently required emergency water purification systems can be quickly dispatched in response to humanitarian crises around the world?

The answer, of course, is none of them, at least when it comes to pre-positioned stocks of Pure Hydration’s life saving Thirst Aid Station.

Rather than storing supplies at a single location, and then facing the problem of how to freight them half way round the world in an unnecessarily extended race against time to save lives, international disaster relief charityShelterBoxhas strategically located thousands of emergency water purification Thirst Aid Stations at a regional distribution hub in each of these four countries.

In the critical period immediately following the start of a humanitarian disaster, and when time is of the essence to stop the outbreak and spread of disease, the ability to deliver essential equipment and supplies to impacted communities is greatly enhanced by having stockpiles as close as possible to the point of need.

The four international storage locations have all been selected for the extended geographical reach they provide to ShelterBox when undertaking their customary rapid response operations.

The Thirst Aid Stations were delivered directly to the hubs between 19 April and 01 June.

The low profile form and light weight of the supplied Thirst Aid Stations mean that storage at hubs is optimised, with a single small pallet load of500Thirst Aid Stations weighing as little as184 kg (incl. pallet weight), but capable of processing500,000 litres of drinking water. This is the equivalent amount of water to694.4pallets of single-use plastic water bottles (60 cases per pallet each containing 24 x 0.5L (16.9 oz) bottles) which could each weigh720 kg (excl. pallet and plastic packaging weight).

Such huge logistical advantages continue to be of benefit as the equipment is deployed in the field. Transportation from hubs to disaster locations is greatly enhanced, and a carton of Thirst Aid Stations weighs an easily manageable 6 kg when being distributed downstream to recipient users.

When responding to emergencies, the Thirst Aid Station has been proven to be highly effective across widely varying disaster circumstances. When deployed following such as Typhoon Haiyan (Super Typhoon Yolanda) in the Philippines (2013/14) or Hurricane Matthew in Haiti (2016) the challenge was to provide safe drinking water following torrential rains that decimated water sanitation services and municipal provision of drinking water, threatening water borne disease in storm damaged areas.

Pure Hydration’s Thirst Aid Station in use in the Philippines (L) and Haiti (R). Images courtesy of ShelterBox.

At the other end of the spectrum, ongoing drought in Somaliland (2017) meant that, as crops failed and livestock perished, normally nomadic and rural populations were forced into urban areas where scarce water resources were increasingly contaminated by waste, leading to the outbreak of cholera. ShelterBox’sprovision of Thirst Aid Stationswas intended to assist in stopping the spread of this preventable disease as authorities and aid agencies fought to remediate the situation.

In other circumstances, it is not nature that unleashes the potential for the spread of water borne disease. During the fighting in the Syrian city of Aleppo in 2016 the lossof municipal water supply service placedmillions at riskof disease from contaminated wells and other unprotected sources. Working through local humanitarian relief partners, ShelterBox delivered Thirst Aid Stations to residents under threat.

In its provision of the Thirst Aid Station, ShelterBox exemplifies the professional approach to timely and appropriate response in the face of humanitarian emergencies that starts with a solid foundation of planning and preparation. It is an ethos that Pure Hydration shares, and is proud to support.

For further information on the Thirst Aid Station, and other dedicated drinking water purification systems for NGO emergency humanitarian relief operations, contact Pure Hydration today.

The Thirst Aid Station is simple for recipients to use without complex training.

]]>The top 15 destinations abroad for Canadian travellers demonstrate a widely varying risk of contracting the most common travel-related illness, Travellers’ Diarrhea (TD), but analysis of the statistics reveal that over 2 million Canadian travellers may have suffered its effects in 2016. Although you might be surprised by the figures, here’s how you can help avoid this illness from contaminated drinking water in foreign destinations.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, figures from Statistics Canada show that the United States was by far the predominant destination for Canadians, with more than twice as many of them travelling there than the next 14 top ranking destinations combined.

Canadian outbound top 15 travel destinations 2016

By utilizing the above statistics it is possible to make estimates for the potential incidence of contracting travellers’ diarrhea, as well as how this might be impacting trips. Using thecommon categorizationof countries into “high”, “intermediate” or “low” risk for acquiring TD, the map and table above can be easily converted into the one below:

Canadian outbound top 15 travel destinations 2016 by country and TD risk

With these destinations and traveller numbers in place it is relatively easy to calculate the potential incidence of travellers’ diarrhea:

Canadian travellers’ risk of TD 2016

It is also possible to calculate the potential impacts of travellers’ diarrhea on travellers:

Canadian travellers’ TD impact 2016

Whether you are going for business, leisure or any other reason, we recommend that for overseas travel destinations you take extra care to stay properly hydrated and avoid drinking water directly from all outdoor sources (e.g. rivers, lakes, streams, wells), municipal water supplies (taps), and suspect ‘fake’ or counterfeit bottled water.

• Save you money while producing up to 350 litres of clean, safe drinking water from contaminated sources, with no waiting time, chemicals or batteries

• Avoid the need to purchase single-use drinking water bottles which end up littering our land and polluting our oceans

Sources.The top 15 destinations for Canadian outbound travellers and the number of visits made in 2016 comes from Statistics Canada.The categorization of countries by TD risk was taken from the Government of Canada, the U.K. NICE(including the percentage of risk by zone), and theU.S. CDC, With regard the overall risk it is noted that the U.S. CDC advises that “Attack rates range from 30% to 70%”. We have used the more conservative U.K. figures of 0% to 7% for low risk, 8% to 20% for intermediate risk, and 20% to 60% noted here, with a median figure of 3.5%, 14% and 40% respectively. For the ‘impact percentages’ we have again utilized figures fromTravelHealthPro(itself referencing Ericsson CD. Travelers’ diarrhea. Epidemiology, prevention, and self-treatment. Infect Dis Clin North Am 1998; 12: 285–303 cited in Al-Abri, S.S. Beeching, N.J. Nye F.J. Traveller’s diarrhoea. Lancet Infect Dis. 2005 Jun; 5 (6):349-60).

]]>https://www.purehydration.com/2018/05/travellers-diarrhea-risk-for-canadians/feed/0Kayaking the Continenthttps://www.purehydration.com/2018/03/kayaking-the-continent/
https://www.purehydration.com/2018/03/kayaking-the-continent/#commentsWed, 21 Mar 2018 18:56:12 +0000http://www.purehydration.com/?p=3917On 21 April 2018 Anna Blackwell and Kate Culverwell, will climb into their tandem kayak, and set off down the River Thames in London. Their

On 21 April 2018 Anna Blackwell and Kate Culverwell, will climb into their tandem kayak, and set off down the River Thames in London. Their destination lies about 4000 km away, and will take them around the Kent coastline, across the English Channel, and onwards across Europe’s canal and river system until they reach the Black Sea, a journey they have named as Kayaking the Continent.

Paddling to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer Action, it is anticipated that the journey will take 3.5 to 4 months, and is believed to be the first time this route has been paddled in its entirety in a tandem kayak. Along their route Anna and Kate will be analysing water samples in contribution to the research of FreshWater Watch, an Earthwatch citizen science project investigating the health of global freshwater ecosystems.

To maintain healthy levels of hydration during this remarkable endurance event, Anna and Kate, will be paddling with an integrated range of Pure Hydration systems to help ensure that they also remain protected from waterborne pathogens, as well as to reduce their expenditure and minimise the use of single-use plastics along their route.

The team will each carry an aquapure traveller™ bottle in a tailored-fit neoprene carry case accessory, which in turn can be secured to the deck rigging using a paddle leash (just in case). Placed in forward-positioned reach, an easy one-handed squeeze will deliver 70CL of drinking water on the go before refilling, while permitting the user to keep their other hand on their paddle. Each purification cap will produce up to 350L of water (at just £0.11p/L), and a replacement purification cap has been provided in recognition of the length of the trip and the likely upturn in water intake requirements as southern European summer temperatures are encountered.

A secondary immediate access water supply will be carried by each paddler in a 2L bladder in the rear pocket of their Peak Explorer Zip PFDs (personal floatation devices). By inserting PureLink™ adaptors in the drinking hose it has been possible to locate a Pure Hydration InLine Purifier in an unobtrusive position behind the body and above the cockpit rear rim/spray deck, converting a standard reservoir into a purification system. A one-handed thumb switch and pop-top mouthpiece at the end of the hose means that hydration on the go is available in an instant.

Once off the water at the end of each day’s paddling, Anna and Kate are intending to wild camp whenever possible. To provide additional water for drinking, cooking and such as washing utensils, the team will carry a Thirst Aid Station (TAS). Primarily developed for provision of emergency humanitarian response, the rugged TAS reservoir holds up to 10L of water which is then passed through an InLine Purifier to produce safe water. The compact and lightweight form of the TAS make it ideal for stowage and transportation between stops.

For further information and to watch the progress of Kayaking the Continent please visit their website, or these Facebook and Instagram pages.

For further product information, and to discuss the water purification requirements for your expedition, please contact customerservice@purehydration.co.uk

]]>https://www.purehydration.com/2018/03/kayaking-the-continent/feed/0The aquapure traveller in Puerto Ricohttps://www.purehydration.com/2018/02/the-aquapure-traveller-in-puerto-rico/
https://www.purehydration.com/2018/02/the-aquapure-traveller-in-puerto-rico/#commentsWed, 07 Feb 2018 20:00:39 +0000http://www.purehydration.com/?p=3861Following the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Maria on the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in late September 2017, access to safe drinking water became an

]]>Following the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Maria on the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in late September 2017, access to safe drinking water became an issue of major concern for the affected population. Pure Hydration has been working with local organizations and supporters in contribution to the ongoing relief effort being provided in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico has long suffered from infrastructure problems that include the supply of potable water. In a report published in May last year it was stated that “In 2015, 99.5 percent of Puerto Rico’s population was served by community water systems in violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, and 69.4 percent of people on the island were served by water sources that violated SDWA’s health standards.” In December 2017 it was reported that “Over two-thirds of the population of Puerto Rico was at potential risk of exposure to bacterial contamination in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, according to government test results obtained by NRDC. More than 2.3 million Puerto Rican residents were served by water systems which drew at least one sample testing positive for total coliforms or E. coli after Maria devastated the island in September.“

Although it is now more than four months on since Hurricane Maria’s landfall, areas remain in Puerto Rico where basic drinking water resources are still not secure from the risk of microbiological and chemical contamination. In early January 2018 an update from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) noted that there are an “estimated 76,000 Puerto Rico residents in over 200 communities across the island that rely on drinking water sources from pumps and wells and surface water that are not supplied by the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority.” The update continued by stating that “EPA and local government agencies in Puerto Rico continue to recommend that people take precautions when coming in direct contact with water bodies in Puerto Rico, including streams, rivers, and beaches because of the possibility of raw sewage being discharged into some water bodies.“

Pure Hydration has been helping the response effort in such remote locations. Funded by private citizen donation from concerned members and friends of the Puerto Rican diaspora in the continental U.S. (who had been recommended to work with us by expert NGO contacts in the humanitarian aid sector), 1500 aquapure traveller™ (APT) individual water purifiers (IWPs) were delivered to Puerto Rico for supply to those at risk from potential waterborne contaminants.

Initial distribution was greatly assisted by the generous time and local expertise provided by Wilnelia Merced, Lady Forsyth. Better known in the UK as the wife of Bruce Forsyth, she is a long standing supporter of underprivileged children through her foundation on her home island, and has been instrumental in ensuring the APTs have been promptly distributed.

With the support of the Office of the First Lady of Puerto Rico, Beatriz Rosselló, and the Puerto Rico National Guard, Wilnelia Merced and Stephanie Del Valle ensure the aquapure traveller is delivered to where it is most needed.

Readily transported to locations that are more difficult to reach, the APT has now also been provided to recipients on the island of Vieques by the charityFundacion Stefano. Lying 8 miles east of Puerto Rico, Vieques was initially left cut off and isolated by Hurricane Maria, and has since struggled to recover. Together with other vital supplies, Fundacion Stefano will continue to make further deliveries in coming weeks including to the outlying small island of Culebra, Cabo Rojo in the far west of Puerto Rico, and Aibonito which suffered from some of the highest rainfall during the hurricane.

Distribution of the aquapure traveller for personal drinking water purification on Vieques, Puerto Rico. Young and more elderly persons are particularly vulnerable to waterborne disease [Images courtesy of Zorimar Bettencourt, Fundacion Stefano].

The destruction wrought by Hurricane Maria continues to blight the lives of many Puerto Ricans, and the question of water source security will be of increasing concern for those inhabitants who decide to remain on their island. One of the ecological effects of the hurricane was that it stripped the canopy (and water-collecting mosses)of the word famous El Yunque National Forest, and it is feared this defoliation may cause substantial tree death. The forest captured and channeled billions of gallons of rainfall into the eight major rivers that originate in this location, and which flow to provide 20% of Puerto Rico’s municipal drinking water.

Another highly visible effect of standard disaster relief practice may also begin to be recognised as Puerto Rico valiantly attempts to rebuild (and deal with it’s already considerable waste problem). The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency has been widely reported to have declared that it has delivered over 65 million litres of bottled water (at a cost of $361m). Although bottled water is no doubt welcomed by recipients at their time of need, in 2016 the Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI), part of the U.S. Agency for International Development Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), advised that “Donating cash to organizations coordinating water purification systems is 1,166 times less expensive than shipping water to a disaster zone, and generates no plastic trash.“

It is now less than four months to the official start of the next Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November (although the high-risk period is typically from mid-August to early October). To contribute to the protection and future security of the people of Puerto Rico’s, please visit this pagetoday.

]]>https://www.purehydration.com/2018/02/the-aquapure-traveller-in-puerto-rico/feed/0APT on Essequibo River first descenthttps://www.purehydration.com/2018/02/apt-on-essequibo-river-first-descent/
https://www.purehydration.com/2018/02/apt-on-essequibo-river-first-descent/#commentsFri, 02 Feb 2018 22:05:23 +0000http://www.purehydration.com/?p=3834In 2016 adventurer Laura Bingham traversed South America by cycling for over 7,000 km from Manta in Ecuador, and crossed the Andes to Buenos Aires in Argentina via Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay.

]]>In 2016 adventurer Laura Bingham traversed South America by cycling for over 7,000 km from Manta in Ecuador, and crossed the Andes to Buenos Aires in Argentina viaPeru, Bolivia and Paraguay. This epic journey was undertaken to raise awareness for the U.K./Paraguayan charity Operation South America, and was carried out with only the equipment that could be packed on the bike, and no money. Relying on the generosity of strangers and by foraging en route, Laura utilized Pure Hydration’s aquapure traveller™ (APT) to deliver safe drinking water from whatever sources she could find.

The aquapure traveller™ crossed South America with Laura to protect against microbiological and chemical contaminants in essential drinking water.

At the start of February 2018 Laura returned to South America, this time heading for Guyana. Here she will attempt to undertake

Together with paddling partners Ness Knight and Pip Stewart, this all female team will be travelling the 1,014 km (630 mile) course of the Essequibo by inflatable kayak as it flows north from the Acarai Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean.

(L-R) Ness Knight, Laura Bingham, and Pip Stewart during preparatory training for the Essequibo descent. It should be a little warmer in Guyana than the rivers they practiced on, but while the whitewater of Wales has honed essential paddling skills for the Essequibo, there are far fewer caimans in the Teifi!

Initially explored in 1837-38, it was not until2013that the location of the Essequibo’s source valley was confirmed. As the largest river between the Amazon and the Orinoco, the Essequibo rises near the border with Brazil in the territory of the endangered Amerindian Wai Wai tribe. Only a few meters wide at its head, it becomes a 20 km (12.5 mile) wide estuary at its mouth which lies 21 km (13 miles) northwest of Guyana’s capital, Georgetown.

The team will paddle through the exceptional biodiversity of Guyana’s near pristine rain forest and rich savannah tracts. They will share the waterway with such as Black Caiman and Giant River Otters.They will pass by ancient petroglyphs carved into river rocks, WWII aircraft wrecks, and modern gold mining operations. When required, they will portage waterfalls and any rapids that are deemed inadvisable to paddle, and unsheathe their machetes to carve temporary routes around the obstacles.

To maintain their health and strength over the anticipated 2 month duration of the descent, the team will be fueling their bodies with nutritious Firepot meals and Nuzest’s Good Green Stuff and Clean Lean Protein (in addition to any Piranha they can catch as they go!).

To avoid waterborne disease (and for safely rehydrating and mixing their food and supplements) the team will be using the APT for essential hydration during the Essequibo descent. Delivered with neoprene carry cases and paddle leashes to attach to the kayaks or buoyancy aids, the APTs will be easily accessible whenever thirst calls.

Pure Hydration is proud to support the team in this superb attempt to conquer new frontiers. We wish you every success ladies!

]]>https://www.purehydration.com/2018/02/apt-on-essequibo-river-first-descent/feed/0Travelers’ diarrhea risk for U.S. travelershttps://www.purehydration.com/2018/01/travelers-diarrhea-risk-for-u-s-travelers/
https://www.purehydration.com/2018/01/travelers-diarrhea-risk-for-u-s-travelers/#commentsTue, 23 Jan 2018 11:14:53 +0000http://www.purehydration.com/?p=3803As the number of United States residents travelling outside their country continues to rise, the predominant choice of high risk destinations places this growing proportion

]]>As the number of United States residents travelling outside their country continues to rise, the predominant choice of high risk destinations places this growing proportion of the population at heightened levels of risk from waterborne disease including travelers’ diarrhea.

• Over 18 million U.S. residents affected by travelers’ diarrhea abroad

• More than 7.5 million travelers had to change their itinerary due to to travelers’ diarrhea

• Nearly 4 million confined to bed by travelers’ diarrhea during foreign travel

• Almost 188,000 admitted to hospital when abroad due to travelers’ diarrhea

Following an increase from 13% in 1996 to 41% in 2016, more U.S. citizens now hold a passport than ever before, and in 2016 they were used for 80.2 million visits abroad. This record-breaking figure was an 8% increase over 2015, but a breakdown of recently released details from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce’s International Trade Administration suggests that U.S. travelers may be experiencing a disproportionate risk of contracting travelers’ diarrhea (TD) and other waterborne diseases by comparison to those of some other nations citizens.

It may come as little surprise that the quality of drinking water differs widely between international destinations. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises that, when it comes to the risk of contracting TD, not all countries are equal, and divides the world into three broad categories of risk; low, intermediate, and high.

The U.K., which uses the same categories, has defined low risk as being 7% or less, intermediate as 8% to 20%, and high as greater than 20% (rising to 60%), as shown in the map above. CDC has defined high risk as being from 30% to 70%.

For U.K. travelers, the percentages traveling in 2016 to intermediate and high risk countries contrasted sharply with the figures for U.S. travelers.

Table 1: Total numbers and percentage of U.K. and U.S. travelers by TD risk zone in 2016.

For UK total travelers in 2016 see Table 2a below. For US total travelers in 2016 see Table 2b below.

Information derived from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism Office online data. Note that in 2015 the 43 most popular overseas destinations for U.S. outbound travelers were listed. This figure was reduced to 38 countries when the 2016 figures were made available. This table only includes countries for which figures were provided in both 2015 and 2016. Countries that appeared in 2015 only included New Zealand (low risk; 295,000 travelers), Russia (intermediate risk; 215,000 (based on 2014 figure)), Ecuador (high risk; based on 2014 figure)), Morocco (high risk; 164,000), and Turkey (high risk; 426,000). While the figures derived from this table are strongly indicative of possible TD occurrence, the actual figure may therefore be higher than described.

Table 1 clearly shows that while nearly four times as many U.K. travelers visited intermediate risk destinations as those who traveled to high risk destinations, this position is almost reversed for U.S. residents, with over half of all journeys being made to high risk destinations.

By far the most significant single factor in the U.S. figures is Mexico, with over 31 million journeys representing more than 77% of the high risk total. However, U.S. residents’ travel in 2016 also increased in 10 of the 15 other high risk destinations listed.

In terms of the potential numbers of U.S. residents who might have been affected by TD on the basis of where they traveled, Table 3 utilizes a median figure for each of the three risk categories in combination with the numbers of trips recorded in 2015 and 2016.

This table uses median risk percentages based on more conservative U.K. definitions of low, intermediate and high risk areas as described above

With a little under 19 million cases of TD having potentially afflicted U.S. residents during such as their vacations, visits to friends and family, and business trips in 2016, this equates to nearly one quarter of all travelers having suffered from what, as a minimum, is an unpleasant, discomforting and frequently painful interruption to what should otherwise have been an enjoyable or profitable experience.

For many U.S. travelers the consequences may have been of even greater impact. Table 4 highlights the potential number of travelers affected by TD who may have been confined to bed, who may have had to changed their itinerary, or who may have had to be admitted to hospital during the course of their trip.

These percentages are based on the referenced advice of the TravelHealthPro website.

An assessment of the financial impact of TD on U.S. travelers can be harder to quantify. Leaving aside such as the loss of tourist income to host countries when a visitor remains in bed (or even chooses an alternative destination on the basis of a poor sanitary reputation), or the cost to the insurance industry of TD-related policy claims, this condition can also substantially affect the personal financial health of travelers.

Added to the more obvious costs of medication and any medical care or hospitalization that may be required, changes in itineraries can affect both afflicted individuals and also uninfected party members; if a child is unable to participate in that once-in-a-lifetime vacation activity due to incapacitation by TD, the chances are that the rest of the family will be missing out too. For pre-paid and non-refundable activities where re-scheduling is not an option, the loss of a ‘priceless’ experience is a hard hit.

]]>https://www.purehydration.com/2018/01/travelers-diarrhea-risk-for-u-s-travelers/feed/0Water purification for jungle operationshttps://www.purehydration.com/2018/01/water-purification-for-jungle-operations/
https://www.purehydration.com/2018/01/water-purification-for-jungle-operations/#commentsWed, 03 Jan 2018 21:27:31 +0000http://www.purehydration.com/?p=3767Pure Hydration has supplied individual water purification products (IWPs) for military use for over 20 years, and today continues to offer advanced solutions for operations

]]>Pure Hydration has supplied individual water purification products (IWPs) for military use for over 20 years, and today continues to offer advanced solutions for operations conducted in remote locations away from safe, secure sources of drinking water.

Two recent examples of field testing have reaffirmed the significant advantages provided to service personnel by genuinely fit-for-purpose M.A.D.® (Mechanically Advanced Disinfection) IWP equipment in the harsh environment of jungle operations,

In 2016 Pure Hydration supplied Crib Gogh Ltd. with a combined quantity of over 40 water bottle- and reservoir-based purification systems (respectively, the Survivor Ranger (pictured below) and Armour Weave reservoirs fitted with the Survivor InLine Purifier) for evaluation of their potential enhancement to dismounted deployments in a range of tropical environments. With the technical microbiological and chemical contaminant reduction performance of the common M.A.D.® purification platform already independently established, this trial was specifically intended to assess equipment in terms of such as its ease of use and durability in contribution to improved task effectiveness and dismount survivability on behalf of the U.K. MoD’s DSTL, and was primarily conducted by personnel from the Malaysian Armed Forces over a period of two weeks continuous use.

The areas where the trial was carried out encompassed a variety of terrains, including primary and secondary rain forest (patrol speed 1 to 2 km/h and 200 m to 1 km/h), deciduous forest (2 to 5 km/h), and swamps (500 m to 1 km per day), and included rain-swollen river crossings.

The final full report is militarily restricted, but an issued summary permits the following reporting of the findings.

• [With regard to the Survivor Ranger] “Even in the dirty muddy jungle streams after heavy rainfall it worked amazingly well.”

• “The bottle functionality allowed a dismount to replenish his water with one hand [...]. The ability to be aware whilst topping up was seen as a step change by the team.”

• [With regard to both systems] “Overall, the sheer durability of the build quality of these units was very impressive. [...] and no adverse effects were experienced from daily hydration and admin.”

• [When compared to other products] “The Survivor systems were tested alongside other devices, but all of the other water purification systems on trial rapidly became dead weight as we became accustomed to the straightforward simplicity of the Pure Hydration capability.”

• “Using filtration pumps and having to wait to replenish drinking water quickly became laborious. [...] having to assemble a unit, pump it or use batteries (not recommended in the jungle), they quickly became recognised as adding unwanted and unnecessary time to each of the routes laid out on the trial.”

• “The Ranger bottle and the bladder capability was by far the preferred option by the team and the most operationally effective kit on the trials.”

In late 2017, the findings of a smaller user trial of a M.A.D.® purification product were published online on the Survival / Bushcraft / Outdoor Experiences blog. While there are numerous reviews of different water filters and purification technologies available on the internet, what makes this one stand out is that it was conducted during a Belgian military survival course by two SERE (the military acronym for Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Extraction (or Escape)) instructors. Professionally expert in what it takes to survive and operate in extreme environments, the information delivered by SERE personnel is relied upon by armed forces to not only develop and underpin the training of wider military numbers, but also to provide meaningful evaluation of survival equipment proposed for introduction across multiple service branches.

These images from the course, conducted in the rain forests of Gabon (which sits on the equator on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa), clearly depict the type of conditions that can be faced in the tropics, and the importance of using robust technologies that are engineered to maintain mission critical function in the production of safe drinking water.

SERE training in Gabon, where drinking water sources can risk serious microbiological infection and illness [Reproduced with kind permission of Philip Wouters]

Water sources used during training in Gabon included stagnant pools and rivers [Reproduced with kind permission of Philip Wouters]

The Survivor 58 water bottle used in Gabon utilises the same integrated cap and M.A.D.® purifier module as the Survivor Ranger which can be a life-saver if you don’t know what’s in the water that you’re going to be drinking: .

The integrated water bottle cap and M.A.D. purifier for use with the Survivor 58 and Survivor Ranger, because it’s not just the obvious things you can see in the water that should make you avoid drinking it anywhere in the tropics [Reproduced by kind permission of Philip Wouters]

In addition to noting the technical reduction performance of the M.A.D.® purifier module (including the highly important factor for a jungle that “It filters VIRUSES”; not all products are equal in this respect), and the improved taste (“the water out of the dirty river was after filtering better than potable water”) the findings of this review echoed that of the Malaysian trial in terms of ease of use for military settings, stating

• “Very easy in use, just fill your bottle and drink. I have drunk about 4 to 5 litres a day.”

• “No waiting time : just fill your bottle, close it and you can drink directly”

• “Lightweight bottle”

• “Squeezable bottle”

• “Perfect fit in our chest webbing”

The conclusion to the posted report is “As a SERE-Instructor with jungle experiences I really recommend the Survivor 58 water purifier when you go to an environment with potential virus danger in the water!”

The Survivor Ranger and the Survivor InLine Purifer (in a variety of configuration options) will be on display at SOFIC 2018, but if you’re not attending or can’t wait until May, please contact us to discuss your requirements for individual water purification today.

]]>https://www.purehydration.com/2018/01/water-purification-for-jungle-operations/feed/0ShelterBox orders more Thirst Aid Stationshttps://www.purehydration.com/2017/12/shelterbox-orders-more-thirst-aid-stations/
https://www.purehydration.com/2017/12/shelterbox-orders-more-thirst-aid-stations/#commentsWed, 20 Dec 2017 12:12:19 +0000http://www.purehydration.com/?p=3752Pure Hydration has announced the receipt of a new order for its Thirst Aid Station emergency water purification system from international disaster relief charity ShelterBox.

]]>Pure Hydration has announced the receipt of a new order for its Thirst Aid Station emergency water purification system from international disaster relief charity ShelterBox.

Thousands of new Thirst Aid Stations will be pre-positioned at regional hubs in Belgium, Malaysia, Panama, and the U.A.E. to meet the requirement for rapid deployment to humanitarian crises worldwide. Having now been proven to provide invaluable distribution and recipient benefits over several years of front line relief operations, the Thirst Aid Station will continue to stand ready to protect the health of vulnerable victims of disasters in circumstances where the safety of essential drinking water supplies have been compromised.

First developed by Pure Hydration in 2013, ShelterBox was an early adopter of this innovative solution to situations where getting water purification equipment to often remote and heavily impacted locations is a matter of life-saving urgency. The Thirst Aid Station has now been delivered to destinations including Ecuador, Haiti, the Philippines, and Syria, where its use without need of extra components, tools, a power supply, chemical additives, or extended user instruction have proven the concept of this design.

The low profile compact form and light weight of the Thirst Aid Station enables ShelterBox to go further, faster, and deliver the optimum format for family and small group production of safe drinking water for survival when infrastructure is damaged and transport resource availability is restricted. Once distributed these features also permit rapid and easy relocation of the Thirst Aid Station should recipients be forced to flee.

Producing up to 1000L of safe drinking water per purifier, the use of just a few Thirst Aid Stations can prevent the use of many tonnes of single-use bottled water, and in contrast to the post-disaster pollution that can be wreaked by such deliveries, the durable 10L Armour Weave reservoir offers second-life sustainable utility as a seed bag, a dry bag for important personal documents, and multiple other local adaptions.

With other aid organisations having already purchased or currently evaluating the Thirst Aid Station, NGO’s are invited to contact Pure Hydration to discuss specifications and bespoke configuration options.

]]>https://www.purehydration.com/2017/12/shelterbox-orders-more-thirst-aid-stations/feed/0Pure Hydration Survivor IWPs at SOFIC 2018https://www.purehydration.com/2017/12/pure-hydration-survivor-iwps-at-sofic-2018/
https://www.purehydration.com/2017/12/pure-hydration-survivor-iwps-at-sofic-2018/#commentsMon, 18 Dec 2017 15:14:37 +0000http://www.purehydration.com/?p=3727Pure Hydration has confirmed attendance as an exhibitor at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC 2018) that will be held at the Tampa Convention

]]>Pure Hydration has confirmed attendance as an exhibitor at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC 2018) that will be held at the Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Florida, U.S.A. from 21st to 24th May 2018.

If you’re planning to attend SOFIC 2018 in May, make sure that you head straight for stand #134 in the main hall for the opportunity to experience the live demonstration of a comprehensive integrated range of individual water purification (IWP) devices for military users from Pure Hydration.

A robust and simple to use water bottle with an integrated purifier/cap

• Survivor InLine Purifier

For use with commonly fielded hydration reservoirs

• Survivor SmartPump

Utilizes the Survivor InLine Purifier for rapidly drawing and purifying water from less accessible sources

• Go Survivor

Designed to fit pilot ejector seat survival packs for SERE operations

• Aircrew Survivor

A dedicated reservoir and integrated purification system for aircrew operations

To preview these systems scroll down to the product literature images below. To discuss your requirements for IWPs visit us on stand #134 at SOFIC 2018. To book a confirmed meeting time please contact us by email at customerservice@purehydration.co.uk.